


Reward

by WahlBuilder



Category: The Technomancer (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff and Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 14:10:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16451453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WahlBuilder/pseuds/WahlBuilder
Summary: As the Director of the ASC, Viktor Watcher needs to keep an eye out on everything. Including street art. Until a certain piece is brought to his attention.





	Reward

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Salmaka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salmaka/gifts).



The operatives in the hall are scribbling their reports furiously and pointedly don’t look up when The Boss strides between their desks to his office. There is the general air of not discussing certain things among themselves.

“Do you think it was really a wise idea?” one of the operatives does not ask while trying to find appropriate words to finish her report.

“What was I supposed to do?” another operative does not reply, squinting at their form like at a particularly suspicious bowl of street noodles. “We are to bring him every piece of street art! That includes posters!”

“Yeah, but if The Boss decides to shoot you,” a third operative does not supply, cursing silently at a pen, “we won’t even find your body.”

“I know!” the Street Art officer does not exclaim. “You are not helping!

In addition to not looking and not talking they are also not listening.

The Boss’s office is mostly soundproof, but in the rustle of the activity in the hall the operatives do not hear the familiar faint scrape of a chair on the floor… Followed by a silence.

The silence that can be exhibited in a museum, paraded during the Dowser’s Day: it is such an embodiment of silence that it is probably an actual visitation of the Silence that was before the Big Bang.

And now, their own local Big Bang happens: it is not very loud, because The Boss is never loud (unless playing the stupid officer for some dumb politician)—it is that they hear in the soundproofed office the nearly silent clicking of The Boss’s heels, then the door opens, closes, and The Boss strides between their desks once again to the opposite direction than before. While they all are absolutely engrossed in their forms and reports, and totally not looking at the paper roll in The Boss’s hand. Not one of them notices that the paper roll is pink.

“Oh Shadow, we are doomed!” one of the operatives does not wail.

The one who has been battling with a pen—quite a struggle!—does not hum thoughtfully. “Shut it. We might even survive this. We’ll see.”

***

Anton feels that something is wrong from across the square. Well, it’s not exactly a big square, but the principle of the thing is important. He knows his “public” office is not empty.

He has let the boys go for the night—though they are not that far away, drinking, brawling, and testing their terrible pick-up lines on the poor suffering boys and girls in Curiosity’s. And there’s nothing exactly valuable in the office, except for his favorite mug (a gift from the boys) and a copy of Highways and Byways of Shadowlair (not a gift from the boys).

And the thing is, one has to be a foreigner, or a very confident bastard (or a stupid one), to even try to break into his office. In the first case, the guest would be patiently explained what’s what, and let go, probably even with all their limbs intact (let it be known that Anton Rogue is a hospitable man). In the latter case… Well. Let it be known that Anton Rogue is hospitable only to a select circle of people.

He has a big gun and an even bigger knife, so he’s not exactly worried. He goes to his office—and frowns at the lock (usually, people run away from that frown, but the poor lock is unlucky, on the account of it being firmly welded to the door). The lock is not broken. It might be that one of the boys forgot something, but then this week’s combination would be used—and here, someone has used a key.

There are only two in existence.

Anton stares at the lock, but since it doesn’t run away screaming or provide any answers—and frankly, Anton has a good idea who his visitor is—he grips the hilt of his blade and pulls the door open.

He stares across the entire length of the office at the wonderfully furious Viktor Watcher (furious is a good look on Vik). He doesn’t remove his hand from the hilt, only steps inside and slides the door shut.

“What,” Vik says in the voice reminds Anton of the straight angles of the Esplanade and the marching step of soldiers during the Dowser’s Day Parade, “the fuck is this?” And then he lifts something with a rustle

Ah. Well, Anton recognizes the pink abomination.

His boys reported just this morning that all the “special edition” posters had been found overnight.

He eases the grip on his blade. “Oh, Vitya. It’s just kids having fun.”

“Really.” Vik’s eyes say he doesn’t buy it. Oh, he’s so delightfully furious. Dear, dear Colonel Viktor.

Anton smiles—the way that makes people run even faster than his frown—and goes to his desk, plants a hand on it, and leans to Vik. “Came to claim your reward, Colonel?”

Something changes in Vik’s face, almost imperceptibly—but for Anton, it’s like the Colonization of Mars. The sudden rush of the ocean wouldn’t get his attention like this shift does.

And the dear, dear Colonel smiles—something that makes Anton want to run. “Oh yes. It is such a generous reward, after all.”

**Author's Note:**

> The post that starts the whole thing can be found [here](https://salmadurka.tumblr.com/post/178387224839/lets-the-poster-wars-begins-antons-zachs). There _is a pink edition, too!_  
> [Anton's favourite mug](http://haaska.tumblr.com/post/175483863963/spiders-week-day-2-favorite-character-anton).


End file.
